The invention of this application is an apparatus for delivering a controllable, variable flow of pressurized fluid, and may be used in wide variety of environments where such an apparatus is desired. For example, the apparatus of this invention may be used as a transmission for vehicles or any other device where energy from an energy source is to be converted to either a higher power or a higher velocity form of energy.
For use as a transmission, the apparatus of this invention can operate entirely without gears, being typically entirely hydraulic or pneumatic in its operation, but for the preferred use of gear pumps. As an advantage of the apparatus, it can be designed to pass through a series of pumping states that are equivalent to a large number of separate gear settings, for example 13 or more gear settings with very simple equipment which is of relatively low cost.
Thus, the apparatus of this invention may serve as a simplified replacement for complex transmissions and for other uses in vehicles and elsewhere.